


If Only Hot Baths Could Cure Broken Hearts

by Emrys MK (mk_malfoy)



Series: Merlin Episodes: AUs, Missing Scenes, and Inspired By [28]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bathing/Washing, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Episode: s04e09 Lancelot du Lac, First Time, Frottage, M/M, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Sad Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Sad and Sweet, Sexual Content, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:29:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25723621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk_malfoy/pseuds/Emrys%20MK
Summary: Arthur is left with a broken heart when Guinevere is caught kissing Lancelot, but only he knows that his heart was broken long before that. Can a bath, with help from Merlin, help to mend that old wound?
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Episodes: AUs, Missing Scenes, and Inspired By [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/640559
Comments: 20
Kudos: 131
Collections: Kinkalot 2020





	If Only Hot Baths Could Cure Broken Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Kinkalot 2020 Team Knights Bingo Prompt: Bathing/Washing
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

After the horrendous day he’d had, Arthur needed some normalcy. He needed a hot bath. And he needed Merlin.

Arthur Pendragon was no stranger to bad days – Camelot in 524 had more bad days than not, what with the constant power plays by ruthless kings of the surrounding five realms – but even he had to concede that this one had been among the worst, if not THE worst. 

Guinevere, the woman who was meant to become his wife the following day, had been caught kissing Lancelot.

It was surreal and Arthur could hardly believe it. Oh, yes, he had known for some time that Guinevere’s heart belonged to Lancelot, but he had conveniently pushed that knowledge to the farthest recesses of his mind. And, until this very week, everyone had thought Lancelot dead.

Obviously, he had not been. 

Now he was dead by his own hand, never to return – Arthur had tasked Merlin with sending the former knight and breaker of hearts out for a proper burial – but the damage was done and Arthur felt lost.

For the past two years he had loved Guinevere the best he could and dreamt of spending the rest of his life with her. Even with his father in charge, Arthur had known that one day he would have her as his wife. He had known that just as he had known that Merlin would never leave him.

What a fool he had been to think Guinevere would one day be his wife.

Had he been equally foolish to think Merlin would never leave him?

The thought was unacceptable and nearly had Arthur prostrate with grief, but he forced those thoughts from his mind. Merlin was not going anywhere. 

Arthur let out a derisive laugh as he sat at his desk and looked towards the window. Merlin would be back soon. Good. Arthur would ask him to prepare a bath. True, he had just had one the day before, and water wasn’t exactly flowing freely at the moment due to the drought Camelot was in the midst of, but this was very nearly an emergency, and surely a bath was excusable in this situation. If not, well, there was no one to tell him he couldn’t, was there? He was the king, after all. 

Hot water would help loosen his tense muscles. Gaius had told him long ago, after a particularly hard fought battle, that a hot bath would be just the thing he needed to soothe his aches and pains. Arthur had doubted such outlandish information but was soon a believer, and from that day forward he had used the bath on a regular basis for himself and had advised his knights to partake in regular hot baths after a long day of training or battle.

When he heard Merlin enter, sometime later, he turned to request a bath, but it seemed Merlin had anticipated such and had set the bath up and was dumping water from buckets that other servants were holding.

Arthur grinned. Merlin was useful for something, after all.

When everyone other than Merlin had left, Arthur began removing his clothing, already imagining how wonderful the hot water would feel against his wounded heart.

“I anticipated you’d want a bath after the events of this afternoon,” Merlin said quietly, barely above a whisper, no doubt worried about saying the wrong thing.

Arthur appreciated that Merlin wasn’t pelting him with questions or giving him false platitudes that things would be better in the morning, but he knew this was probably due to the fact that Merlin and Gwen had been close and he probably was sad she had been banished.

Naked, Arthur walked to the bath and stepped in, closing his eyes as he sat and leant against the side. He was exhausted and thought that if Merlin weren’t present he might allow himself a brief cry.

A wet cloth appeared with a familiar hand and began to wash him. Arthur’s immediate thought was to tell Merlin to stop, that he didn’t need any help tonight, but on second thought, he didn’t want to be alone, and Merlin’s presence was comforting, even if it was also hurtful.

“Thank you,” was all Arthur said. He was afraid to try to talk; he was sure his voice might break.

“It’s my job to make your life easier, Arthur. I admit to not doing that often, but I think today you have suffered enough without me adding to it.” The cloth moved from Arthur’s neck to his chest.

Arthur sighed. Why couldn’t he find someone like Merlin? He had thought Guinevere would fit that role, but well, she hadn’t, had she? Perhaps it was time he admitted defeat and sent for Princess Mithian. Her father was looking to strengthen ties with Camelot and had hinted at the last meeting between the two that he very much wanted a match between his daughter and the King of Camelot.

After washing Arthur’s chest, Merlin released the cloth as he always did at this point and lifted his hand to bring it out of the water, but Arthur stopped his movement.

“Arthur?” Merlin asked softly.

“What did Lancelot have that I am lacking, Merlin?” Arthur asked softly as he placed the cloth back in Merlin’s hand and lowered it to his legs. “Even I could see that they shared something she and I never did. You saw them when we rescued her. She was completely in love with him.”

Merlin began washing Arthur’s legs and let out a sigh. “I don’t think it’s anything tangible. I think it’s more that sometimes you can’t deny destiny or fate.” Merlin again stopped his movement.

“Yeah, I think I know what you mean. It’s kind of like how you completely drive me spare and sometimes I want to send you back to Ealdor, but the thought of doing so saddens me. It seems that we are meant to be together.”

“Well, you don’t have to sound so sad about that, Arthur. There are worse things.”

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think there are, Merlin.”

Merlin scoffed and dropped the cloth in the water. “You can finish bathing yourself,” he said, anger seeping through.

“Please don’t go,” Arthur pleaded, turning his head to look at Merlin.

“Why? So you can abuse me some more? Look, Arthur, I am your manservant. I understand that and put up with a lot from you. I will do that until the day I die if need be, but right now I need to be alone.”

Arthur stood in the bath and turned towards Merlin and seemed to think for several seconds. “You don’t understand, Merlin. When I said there is nothing worse than you and me being meant to be together, I said that because for as long as I can remember, you have been the one.” Arthur met Merlin’s eyes and did not look away. “But you were my servant and you were a man. I was happy to discover Guinevere and I had chemistry. I thought wrongly that she could drive you from my mind. It worked for the most part and I could have been happy with her, but she could have never replaced you.” 

Merlin looked like he wanted to cry. He shook his head. “You know I’ll do whatever you need me to, Arthur. If you want me, you can have me, but we both know this won’t solve your problem. Not really. You are the king of Camelot and I am your servant. If I warm your bed, that is fine, but if you are foolish enough to ask for more, you have to know no one would stand for that.”

Arthur nodded. “So now you know why to me there will never be anything worse. To know I can’t have you how I want you is the worst.”

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur and began kissing his neck. “But you can have me, Arthur. Maybe not in the exact way you want me, but don’t you think it would be worse if I weren’t here?”

Arthur ran his hands through Merlin’s hair and kissed it. “Yes, of course you are right.”

“Did you really just say I am right, sire?” Merlin asked cheekily.

“Shut up and get in here so you can bathe me properly.”

“And will you bathe me as well?” Merlin asked coyly. 

“I think I will, but then I am afraid you will need another bath after I finish with you. We have four years to make up for tonight.”

“Then we best get started, don’t you think?” and with that Merlin straddled Arthur’s lap and frotted against him. “I’ll love you forever, Arthur Pendragon.”

Arthur met Merlin’s erratic thrusts with his own. He had gone through a horrific day and anticipated unpleasant days in his future, but for right now he had the man he had loved for four years in his arms, in the bath with him, and that was enough.


End file.
